Water vessel propulsion system

ABSTRACT

A propulsion system for water vessels using an endless track system in which flexible material is attached to the inside edges of the track to reduce water friction or to reduce the thickness of the endless track. Further improvements include methods of forcing air beneath the tracks and methods of containing air beneath the tracks and methods of providing traction to the water vessel.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/258,906 filing date Dec. 28, 2000

[0002] other related patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,545 Bertelsen

[0003] There is no federally sponsored research or development involved with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention pertains to a propulsion system for water vessels and more specifically to water vessels using a high speed endless track propulsion system, but not restricted to the embodiments shown and descibed.

[0005] Currently most track driven water vessel are amphibious vehicles in which either the primary goal is to transport people and cargo across surfaces that vary with combinations of land, water, sand, mud, or ice; or the primary goal is to use track driven amphibious vehicles as bases for mounting heavy equipment such as backhoes or draglines and used in marches and swamps. Many of these vehicles have pootoons for floatablity and an endless track for propulsion, or the endless tracks themselves are floatable in which the tracks are thick enough to support the weight of the vehicle. At the speeds these vehicles operate at, water friction is not a substantial problem, however water vessels operating at much higher speeds, water friction becomes a factor. At high speeds water contacting a pootoon or other non-rotating water vessel structure lessens the benifits of the rotating track propulsion system and may cause the vessel to become unstable if one side encounters more friction than the other side.

[0006] In water vessels in which the track is thick enough to support the weight of the vessel and thick enough to keep water from getting on top of the track and thick enough to keep water from contacting non-rotating parts of the vessel; the thick track will take more power to turn at the same speed than a comparable thiner track.

[0007] A water vessel described herein utilizes two rotatable tracks with flexible air-filled rubber raft like material attached to the inside edges of each track. All the water vessel surfaces that contact water will be rotatable in bodies of water with waves up to 15 foot waves. The water vessel would funnel air and trap air beneath the tracks, further reducing water friction. Inflatable flaps on the outer surfaces of the rotatable tracks provide extra traction when needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is, therfore, an object of this invention to improve a rotatable track propulsion system for water vessels by reducing water friction.

[0009] Another object of this invention is to reduce the weight of a rotatable track used in a propulsion system for water vessels.

[0010] A further object of this invention is to improve adjustable traction of a rotatable track propulsion system for water vessels.

[0011] These and others objects are attained in accordance with the present invention wherein there is provided a water vessel with a rotatable track propulsion system 

I claim:
 1. A propulsion system for a water vessel comprised of: a deck body or non-rotatable structure attached to a rotatable track or two or more rotatable tracks in which no part of the non-rotatable structure makes direct contact with the water surface or waves in the transportation mode; said rotatable track or tracks contact the water surface, in which rotation of the said rotatable track or tracks results in movement across the water surface; said rotatable track or tracks are supported upon sprockets rotatably supported on shafts; said rotatable track or tracks are curved inward on the outside edges so that the height of the outside edge of said rotatable track or tracks is high enough to prevent surface water or waves from getting on top of the interior part of the said rotatable track or tracks; a conventional type of power source; a conventional means of controlling operation of said rotatable tracks.
 2. A propulsion system for a water vessel comprised of: a deck body or non-rotatable structure attached to a rotatable track or two or more rotatable tracks in which no part of the non-rotatable structure makes direct contact with the water surface or waves in the transportation mode; said rotatable track or tracks contact the water surface, in which rotation of the said rotatable track or tracks results in movement across the water surface; said rotatable track or tracks are supported upon sprockets rotatably supported on shafts; flexible water-proof material attached to rigid material, with both materials attached to the inside edge or the side of said rotatable track or tracks so as to prevent surface water or waves going over top of the flexible water-proof material and to prevent surface water or waves from getting on top of the interior part of the said rotatable track or tracks; a conventional type of power source; a conventional means of controlling operation of said rotatable tracks.
 3. A propulsion system for a water vessel comprised of: a deck body or non-rotatable structure attached to a rotatable track or two or more rotatable tracks in which no part of the non-rotatable structure makes direct contact with the water surface or waves in the transportation mode; said rotatable track or tracks contact the water surface, in which rotation of the said rotatable track or tracks results in movement across the water surface; said rotatable track or tracks are supported upon sprockets rotatably supported on shafts; cubes or other beneficial shape of inflatable rubber raft-like material connected with air passages attached to the inside edge or the side of said rotatable track or tracks and inflated enough so as to prevent surface water or waves going over top of the inflatable rubber raft-like material and to prevent surface water or waves from getting on top of the interior part of the said rotatable track or tracks; said cubes or other benificial shape of inflatable rubber raft-like material would be collapsible when in the curve of the rotational path of the said rotatable track or tracks a conventional type of power source; a conventional means of controlling operation of said rotatable tracks.
 4. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 3, wherein a rigid material inside the inflatable rubber raft-like material stucture is attached to the rotatable track or tracks to add support.
 5. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 3, wherein increased air pressure is introduced to the area where the rotatable track and water make contact, or to the area where the rotatable track and water would normally make contact without the presence of increased air pressure.
 6. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 5, wherein said increased air pressure is produced by the funnel effect of the shape of the water vessel.
 7. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 3, wherin air is contained beneath the said rotatable track or tracks due to the shape of the said rotatable track or tracks or due to the shape of the combination of said rotatable track or tracks and attachments to the said rotatable track or tracks.
 8. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 3, wherein flaps are mounted on said rotatable tracks such that the flaps can be extended or retracted, in the extended stage these flaps extend outward from the outer edge of the rotatable tracks, in the retracted stage these flaps are flush or nearly flush with the outer edge of said rotatable tracks.
 9. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 8, wherein said flaps are made up of inflatable and deflatable material, inflated flaps would be in the extended stage, deflated flaps would be in the retracted stage.
 10. The propulsion system for a water vessel of claim 3, wherein the surface area of the said rotatable tracks are suitable for both water and land transportation, thus making land travel possible for a water vessel with said propulsion system. 